The Front Porch Swing

[jmoeller]

tomtommom I get so angry with everyone blaming parents for everything. Yes there are some slacker parents out there but very few parents don't try to do the best for their kids. One of my kids was especially challenging. This kid was quick and able to get into everything. One day we were both in the kitchen, I was puttering around at the table. All the sudden I hear him crying. I look over and he is standing on the stove one foot on each burner, smoke billowing out from under his feet. He had turned the burners on high. Luckily he had shoes on. My kids seldom wore shoes in the house. I still have the shoes with the melted soles in the shape of the coils of the burners. He got up on that stove in a flash. Thank the Lord he was wearing shoes. Tell me what would have happened if I had to take him to the emergency room with burns on the soles of his feet. I would probably still be in jail. Nobody would have ever believe a 2 year old was capable of doing that on his own.
When this same child was 4 I noticed he would always put his hand over his eye when we read bed time stories together. So... of course I took him to get his eyes checked. He was given glasses but refused to wear them. He complained he couldn't see with them on. I took them back to the eye dr. and asked them to check the prescription in the glasses to make sure it was correct. Well yes it was exactly what the dr. ordered. I told them well I can't get him to wear them he complains of a headache and he can't see. I was told firmly that I needed to be the parent and make him wear the glasses. So I went home and doubled down and made him wear the stupid glasses. With in 10 days Luke's eyes had crossed - strabismus. I took him to a different eye dr. who told me Luke's sight was fine, he didn't need glasses but he spent the next 6 months and tons of money on therapies and glasses to try to straighten his eyes again. We even had an MRI of the head because of how quickly his eyes crossed the dr. was concerned about a brain tumor. Finally Luke ended up with surgery to straighten his eyes. I was very angry with myself for not following my heart when it came to my child and allowing some one else make me feel like a bad parent when I knew better.
I'm sure you're a good mom. Stay true to your heart, you know what will work for you child

I'm thinking of going to another pediatrician. There's one with raving reviews and he's connected to Children's of Alabama, which is the hospital my son goes to for a lot of his testing... so it would make sense. A lot of the issues seems to me that everyone has a different opinion, noone listens to anybody else and they all come up with new stuff that totally conflicts with what others say.

This lady on Wednesday pulls the whole "Oh well, he has only been hearing for a year, when he wears his hearing aids, so that's why he can't talk" and I am trying to tell her that his hearing isn't that bad... ofcourse she then pulls the chart out and start pointing this out, as if I'm new to it... Urgh. He had a hearing test in MARCH. The audiologist that did the test AGREED that his hearing isn't bad enough for him NOT to be talking and that there's likely another unlying cause. He should be talking, just in that typical 'deaf person' way. Missing some sounds etc.

And then she argues that he needs to wear his hearing aids all the time or he will never learn to talk bla bla bla. Translation: it's moms fault he's not talking. Ok, alright... please, oh lady that just came out of school and doesn't have any kids herself, please tell me how I can verbally convince my son who doesn't talk to wear his hearing aids all the time. Really, you'd be the first person in existance that can convince a toddler to do something they don't want to do

He just pulls them out and chews on them until they're so soggy I have to put them in the drying kit. Batteries are rusting because he slobbers on the dang things. I'm sorry, I gave up.. and guess what. He started talking. He has barely worn the things since Christmas... but clearly, he's so deaf he will never talk without his hearing aids. I will get him to wear them when he's cooperating, at some point.

Doctors forget parents spend a LOT of time with their kids and can tell you what's going to work and what isn't. They know their kids' personality. Mine: He's stubborn and sticks everything in his mouth. EVERYTHING. If I can't put his hearing aids in without him fussing, it's not going to happen. There are days that he cooperates. There are days that he doesn't. It's called being a toddler. Some days he talks and signs, some days he bites and hits (not acceptable ofcourse, but.. he's a toddler).

 

[jmoeller]

Had a little excitement in Cowley today, and there's going to be hell to pay at the next council meeting! Sirens went off, and this was spotted heading for town. It was actually bigger and darker than this at first - I didn't get a picture then but my neighbor did. Have to see if I can get hers to post too. Tam and Jenny both called frantic - "Where do we shelter?" I told them to calmly go to the elementary school because that's what I had been told last year when I asked at a council meeting. They loaded up the little ones and beat feet...nobody there. So they went to the high school, same story. I am FURIOUS! Jenny, Kendra and Katie live in an older mobile home like mine, and Tam lives in a duplex with no basement either. I WILL get answers and I WILL get a plan in place before the end of the next meeting. COWLEY, YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET BLOOIED!!!

Blooie I think you need one of those fancy storm shelters Tomtommom has. Stay safe.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

I don't read for that reason, Deb. I *have* to finish a book when I pick it up. I finish one in 2 days, tops. Nothing gets done if I have a book.

I read a lot of articles online instead.. always learning It does give me some anxiety, the to-do list in my head is so great it's paralyzing, not knowing where to even start. And everything costs money I'm anti-spending to the max.



I make only one pie: the best sweet potato pie EVER. None of that crap from a can, no ma'am... fresh sweet potatoes. I can swap out the sweet potatoes for pumpkin/squash and get a similarly good pie. I buy frozen pie crust I don't like regular sweet potato/pumpkin pie.. only my own I don't like sweet potatoes and squash all that much anyway.. something cloying about it, I don't know. I can usually eat anything 'because it's good for me', but sweet potatoes/squash require some serious gagging and choking down. I need a LOT of seasoning to eat the stuff.

Having a productive day today.. washed every bit of laundry in the house. Got mount wash-more on my bed now. Fun times. Been feeling a bit down the past couple of days.. post partum bla bla no doubt.

My son has been driving me batty, getting into EVERYTHING. I found toys in the washer, sticks in the air conditioner, food all over the house (he's not eating very well, rather shredding his sandwich and tossing it all over). He's been drawing on furniture with crayons and pencils (not a clue where he finds all this stuff). He fell off the porch the other day (tumbled down the steps) as I was putting his sister in the car. He bruised his cheek and eyebrow :/ This morning he fell off who knows what, I was feeding the baby and he starts screaming. His chin was red. He must've falled off my bed or desk or chair or *something*. He's tried running off with my phone, my pump... everything. He bit me yesterday on my arm, as I was putting his clothes on. He cried when his daddy yelled, not sure if he was scared or upset that he hurt me. He's going through the toddler rollercoaster of emotions right now.

We had an appointment on Wednesday, an hour drive from where we live in the 'big city'. Speech evaluation. This girl made me MAD. Halfway through she gets called outside, she comes back and she says "Oh, we have a scheduling conflict, we'll just finish some other time". Excuse me? We drive an hour to get there.. I have to drug up my son to do so (he gets carsick, anything past a 15 minute drive). On top of that she kept pushing about more speech therapy, which would mean I have to make that drive once a week. I tried to explain WHY that wouldn't work. She just made me feel like the world's worst mom for not moving heaven and earth to come to their center. By then my son is having a meltdown, because the dramamine makes him sleepy.

Yes... I will drug up my son on a weekly basis, so he can semi-attend speech therapy, where he will not cooperate because he's drowsy from the medication I gave him to get here. Oh, and I will bring my newborn too, who will need my attention. And while we're at it, I will bring my 6 year old too.. since it's summer vacation. Just no. Why do people without kids always seem to think parents make up excuses? I've been a babysitter at a young age. I've been a teacher. I've supervised kids in various settings. Being a parent is NOTHING like those things. Yes, I want my son to get all the care he needs, but there are limits as to what HE can handle. Driving an hour, paying attention for an hour and a half, then driving back an hour is NOT within the range of what he can handle. I try to explain we are pursuing a possible autism diagnosis, but in one ear, out the other. He's not like other kids. We get 45 minutes of special instruction in our home. It's basically play therapy. He's exhausted by the end of that. Why would he be able to handle 1 1/2 hours of therapy AFTER being drugged up and driving an hour? Just no.

But, being all weepy, that appointment sent me straight to "I'm the worst mother in the world" land (in my mind). Grmblgrmbgrl.... And then he fell on his head the next day. Yup.... not winning any prizes here.

I get that. I'm sorry you're dealing with that. The professionals need to expand on their ideas of what is helpful or not.

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Had a little excitement in Cowley today, and there's going to be hell to pay at the next council meeting! Sirens went off, and this was spotted heading for town. It was actually bigger and darker than this at first - I didn't get a picture then but my neighbor did. Have to see if I can get hers to post too. Tam and Jenny both called frantic - "Where do we shelter?" I told them to calmly go to the elementary school because that's what I had been told last year when I asked at a council meeting. They loaded up the little ones and beat feet...nobody there. So they went to the high school, same story. I am FURIOUS! Jenny, Kendra and Katie live in an older mobile home like mine, and Tam lives in a duplex with no basement either. I WILL get answers and I WILL get a plan in place before the end of the next meeting. COWLEY, YOU'RE ABOUT TO GET BLOOIED!!!

Blooie that town!

 

[OHhappychicks]

Wow Blooie!!! That was close!!! I guess I didn't realize that there are tornadoes in Montana! But the pics are beautiful! Love the one with the wall of rain! I love weather pictures. We had storms here last week, with a small tornado about 30 miles away. Hubby, Son and SIL were working there. They had golf ball sized hail and they could hear the tornado, but didn't see it. Said it sounded just like a freight train. They took pics of the hail. The truck has small dents. A dog came running up the street, getting pelted by the hail, they called for him and he came running in to the garage! Poor thing!

 

[perchie.girl]

One of my friends posted this on Facebook once ... No, you do to have insomnia. You just have a new book and not enough respect for the concept of tomorrow.

LOL... my 24 hour day is so fractured I need naps. I have a baby monitor at my head board so I can tell if Grandma needs help. I already need white noise going in the bedroom and air circulation... And the TV going on a repeating loop. usually something I have seen a thousand times before. I cant sleep in quiet. But I cant be so dead asleep that I can hear grandma if she needs me. So I sleep during the day after meals and a long nap if my son is home.

I didnt get a nap today and since my son is out with his friends i will happily be writing on my computer when he gets home. ahem... LOL. So around 3 Am I am slated for my sleep tonight. They are a good group of boys They spend about twelve hours playing a board game sort of like dungeons and dragons. All are in college One is Getting his masters in computer science his girlfriend is getting her bachelors in languages to be a translator. Dean is getting his bachelors in Astronomy. And Brett is working on Marine Biology. Brett is a Working student so he gets one day off per week from his couple of jobs. So all three get together for a board game ... The girlfriend just studies and Kibetz's with them.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
My dog Rosie used to go heave a great sigh and go into the other room where it was dark to get some sleep... She was a great Hinter.

deb

 

[Oldmomma]

My day started out bad and got worse and so im taking some time out to collect my thoughts before I do something rash. Got up at 630 and went out to let my babies out. I decided to sit with them a bit since I had blockaded 3/4 of the balcony so I could clean it to try and build my coop today. Started looking at chicks and was discussing how to mark a few of my birds to tell them apart. Counted once, twice, 3rd time I was like come here and help me double check I think I missed someone. We grabbed my notebook and my daughter was mom where is that brown funny looking one? Well I lost my biggest NN! I went down stairs and my bil is gone and left the gate open so im out a 2mo old bird. So then I was bound an determined to build that coop today. Yesterday my mil was a handful and ive been raised to respect my elders but I will not accept abuse from anyone! I had gone out and bought 10 ppr pipes that 13 ft long and im carrying them over my shoulder trying to get them inside the compound walls then up 3 stories by myself. My mil was out and started asking me if I was fixing water pipes in my house. No, these are to make a green house I told her since yesterday she berated me over half a hour as to why I am keeping animals upstairs. It was lie but I just didnt want to hear her again. I told her its my money I will spend it as I see fit and upstairs is my house and no one has the right to tell me what I cant do on my own premises. Well she began and its enough that I only understand half of what she is saying but that my language isnt enough to tell her to mind her own business. Well after a few minutes I said where is daddy I want to talk to him? Well she headed to the door telling me he is sick I cant talk to him! Well I beat her to another door and she started telling me get out of her house! Well I informed her that THIS HOUSE WAS MINE, MY BIL AND THEIRS AND I WOULD BE DARNED IF I WAS LEAVING IT! They built this house for my husband and his younger brother. They moved into it to protect it from being taken and let their house go to ruin so no one would want it.
Now im a good person but ive had my share of abusevin my life and im lucky to have a good husband. But I found my voice and my backbonevand NO ONE WILL TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ME AGAIN. When we came they had a year to fix things but they did nothing and I have a home that needs everything repaired. Now if I was in the states I have all my tools, know where I need to go to buy things and with my skills can fix it but here its a challenge. Power is deadly, nothing is grounded, everything is metric, most is crap supplies, I dont have even the basics of tools and when I do buy stuff it disappears every time my bil HELPS me fix something. My roof leaks in the bathroom, windows have no screens and are not sealed well so opening a window becomes a issue. Some of the security shutters are broken either up or down and so windows or doors are exposed. I have only salt water in my house but fresh water I either buy or go down 3 flights to lug up giant bottles. A third of the lights no longer work in my house. Half of the outlets. I have one cooler for the whole house. The list goes on. My bil is a greedy bas$÷@+. And has gotten my inlaws to put everything innhis name. So if my fil dies he controls everything! And we will most likely have to fight him to get what is rightfully my husbands when dad dies. Momma is senile. Two months before my son died she was upset I didnt say hi to her for a few days. And was berating my husband and my kids. I told her to stop. Well she told me go away and iasked her what I had done to her to deserve this? Next thing she is telling me get out you daughter of a dog...well in my whole life no one has ever called me a female dog! I approached her asking her whyvshe said this to me? What did I do? She hurried inside and I followed her. My sil came in to the room hearing us arguing. I told her momma called me a dirty word and I wanted to know why. I took my mother in law by the shoulders and said why u called me this? Well she acted like I was killing her. I left and she began telling folks I hit her! I refused to speak to her again. Everyone said ignore her and I told them no I was no ones dog! When my son died I hadnt spoken to her in two months. I said I will not forget nor will I forgive but I will let it pass for honor of my son.
Sorry folks this was long but I learned the only way to healvis get it outvof my system. Im gonna get to the bank, try to used this toolvand fix my coop. I gotva storm brewing with his family.

 

[MistyMountain]

Hey, Enola! Black Jack is what those of us who live in old mobile homes paint on our roofs to weatherproof them, among other uses. You pour it on the floor or roof, then push it around with a roller. Someone on the forums (wish I could remember his name) painted it on the floor of his coop and up the sides a foot or so. It completely seals all cracks and crevices, including the gap between the walls and the floor and makes a solid, completely waterproof surface.

We didn't do it because we wanted to use DLM, but this guy does do DLM on his and said the last time he cleaned it out it looked as good after four years as it did when he put it down. He recommends it highly. I think it's available at Lowes.

Blackjack it is! It was probably JackE that recommended it. I have been asking all sorts of questions on it. I use the DL method in my other coop and did not put this on the floor. Long story short is because the current coop is a metal 6x10 building out of a box on a raised floor. This coop is temporary until the 10x8 final coop is built (again, wood and batten style). I was in a rush to get the then 17 nine week old chicks out of my basement. the DL has done super well. It may have been a month since I have added any bedding and it doesn't look like it will need any soon. It has been going since October. Some areas get wet, but I just dig them out and flip the bedding and rake to the center, much like I would a horse stall. When the final coop gets built I will pressure wash the floor, let it dry, and paint this stuff on that as well. I kinda love it

I think this is "paint the floor with black goop" idea is a great solution for people who want an elevated coop, but also want to use the DL method.

Oh, and I think the rest of the coop is pretty darn adorable!

Thank you!!

I agree! And it really does look like a little old schoolhouse! Hey, instead of a flock of chickens you can have a school of chickens? Well, why not? I've got so many here we call it "the herd."

Yup, just need my little bell to hang next to the door! I might call half of this group other not so nice names… white leghorn cockerels, and naughty ones at that!!! They will continue to call the school house home when the pullets get old enough to move in with the big girls.

I used to get car sick too... even as an adult! As a little kid I once puked on an elderly lady in a furcoat while riding the bus... And I threw up in the bus during a schooltrip in high school.... talk about embarrassing. I thought I was ok, but nope.... I know what he's going through. It's scary having to strip down a little boy at the side of a 4-5 lane interstate with traffic flying by because he just puked all over himself and his car seat. But, knock on wood, he has not gotten sick in a while. The dramamine works.

I get sick too. I trained myself at an early age to just fall asleep in the car. That poses a problem for me as an adult and driving… I get very sleepy when driving long distances. I used to have to take dramamine for the very long trips. I once got sick my freshman year in college on a charter bus. We were on our way home from our spring break softball tournament in Myrtle Beach. Good thing we had a giant double bubble bucket handy. Luckily I didn't end up with "puker" as my nickname. I was in the championship match of the cribbage tournament too. Had to get someone to fill in. We would sometimes practice shortly after arriving in SC and that was always difficult for me to do in my dramamine induced haze.

My son also gets carsick. Terribly so, but he has done so well lately. He also has reflux that we have to manage. He is slowly but surely growing out of it now at almost 4. We bought those sea bands pressure point bracelets for him. We don't always use them, but he has NEVER thrown up with them on. I used to joke around that we have the cleanest carseats in the world. Worked well that we have 4 that are the same so if we would go on trips I could take the other apart and have quick clean replacements for those side of the road strip downs. I feel your pain

 

[Blooie]

Blackjack it is! It was probably JackE that recommended it. I have been asking all sorts of questions on it. I use the DL method in my other coop and did not put this on the floor. Long story short is because the current coop is a metal 6x10 building out of a box on a raised floor. This coop is temporary until the 10x8 final coop is built (again, wood and batten style). I was in a rush to get the then 17 nine week old chicks out of my basement. the DL has done super well. It may have been a month since I have added any bedding and it doesn't look like it will need any soon. It has been going since October. Some areas get wet, but I just dig them out and flip the bedding and rake to the center, much like I would a horse stall. When the final coop gets built I will pressure wash the floor, let it dry, and paint this stuff on that as well. I kinda love it

Thank you!!

Yup, just need my little bell to hang next to the door! I might call half of this group other not so nice names… white leghorn cockerels, and naughty ones at that!!! They will continue to call the school house home when the pullets get old enough to move in with the big girls.

I get sick too. I trained myself at an early age to just fall asleep in the car. That poses a problem for me as an adult and driving… I get very sleepy when driving long distances. I used to have to take dramamine for the very long trips. I once got sick my freshman year in college on a charter bus. We were on our way home from our spring break softball tournament in Myrtle Beach. Good thing we had a giant double bubble bucket handy. Luckily I didn't end up with "puker" as my nickname. I was in the championship match of the cribbage tournament too. Had to get someone to fill in. We would sometimes practice shortly after arriving in SC and that was always difficult for me to do in my dramamine induced haze.

My son also gets carsick. Terribly so, but he has done so well lately. He also has reflux that we have to manage. He is slowly but surely growing out of it now at almost 4. We bought those sea bands pressure point bracelets for him. We don't always use them, but he has NEVER thrown up with them on. I used to joke around that we have the cleanest carseats in the world. Worked well that we have 4 that are the same so if we would go on trips I could take the other apart and have quick clean replacements for those side of the road strip downs. I feel your pain

All this talk of carsickness is making me a little nervous. Tam was always our sickie - she got so carsick that the rest of us got sick from listening and smelling when Ken couldn't get the car pulled over fast enough. She lived on Dramamine - and when you consider how much we moved and traveled while we were in the Navy that's a lot of Dramamine! She's outgrown it somewhat, but doesn't travel as well in the back seat as she does the front.

When I was diagnosed with vertigo three years ago, I was given Meclazine for the nausea. Boy, that worked WAYYY better and faster than Dramamine and didn't make me nearly as sleepy. I've never gotten car sick or air sick, but when I had to fly to South Dakota last winter when Linda first got sick I was worried about the combination of vertigo and flying. My doctor gave me some kind of patches, but advised me to try the Meclazine first. As it turned out I didn't need either one, but it was nice to have options. I think I'll go back in before the cruise and see him. I only take the Meclazine as needed, and he gave me more than I've needed, so I'm not sure they're still at full strength. And I'll also ask him if those would work better for Tammy - just in case her carsickness turns into seasickness on the cruise. That would blow a hole in the vacation!